Arts & Sciences News

Borgeson, Valeri publish paper on gay skinheads

Aug 12, 2014 |

"Gay Skinheads: Negotiating a Gay Identity in a Culture of Traditional Masculinity" by Dr. Kevin Borgeson, associate professor of criminal justice at Salem State University, and Dr. Robin Valeri, professor of psychology at St. Bonaventure, was accepted for publication in the Journal of Men's Studies.

Through case studies, the paper examines the strategies used by six men to negotiate between their gay and skinhead identities. Skinheads are defined by traditional masculine values and culture, primarily fashion and music. These men differed in their definitions of skinheads and the centrality of their gay identity to their overall identity.

Four of the men, when interacting with other skinheads, strove to minimize their homosexuality. Two of these four relied heavily on fashion and music to validate their skinhead identity. The other two accentuated their masculinity and aggressed against effeminate men. For one, being gay was always central to his identity. For another, his gay identity was balanced with his skinhead and occupational identities.